When most people think of injuries resulting from a car accident, life-altering issues such as severe back injuries or traumatic brain injuries usually come to mind. Facial injuries typically aren’t near the top of the list. However, these types of injuries are not only incredibly painful, but they can also result in permanent disfigurement. Fractures can occur when a victim’s face hits a steering wheel or dashboard, and glass fragments can shred the skin. The implications of facial injuries from car crashes can be severe, often requiring extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. A serious car accident can cause significant facial trauma, leading to long-term physical and emotional effects. In many instances, car crash victims not only have to endure physical pain, but also emotional trauma.
The car accident attorneys with The Eberst Law Firm have a long track record of success helping victims who have suffered severe facial injuries due to the negligence of others. If you’ve been seriously hurt due to an accident that wasn’t your fault, we’ll do everything we can to help you obtain the money you have coming to you. Please schedule a free case review by contacting us online or giving us a call at 888-CALL-JON
Introduction to Accident Facial Injuries
Facial injuries can be a devastating consequence of car accidents, resulting in physical pain, emotional trauma, and permanent scarring. According to statistics, over half of people injured in car accidents in the United States suffer from facial injuries. These injuries can range from minor cuts and bruises to severe facial fractures, soft tissue injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. In this section, we will explore the different types of facial injuries that can occur in car accidents, including soft tissue injuries, facial fractures, and dental injuries. We will also discuss the importance of seeking medical attention immediately after a car accident to prevent further complications and promote proper healing.
What Causes Facial Wounds in Accidents?
Any time a vehicle accident occurs, the drivers and passengers involved are at risk of severe facial injuries. In fact, these are among the most common car accident injuries people experience. Flying objects and debris can strike the face, leading to significant damage, including soft tissue injury.
A victim can be partially ejected through a window or the windshield. This causes victims to suffer severe lacerations to the face due to shattered glass and broken glass. They can sometimes be completely ejected. This results in injuries not only from glass but also from sliding across an asphalt road, experiencing horrible road rash in the process.
The explosive deployment of airbags can lead to severe facial injuries, including facial abrasions, due to the intense force and heat involved.
Types of Facial Injuries
As you might expect, there are many different common types of facial injuries that can affect the face due to a car accident. For example, as a head-on or rear-end collision. These are just a few that commonly occur.
Facial bones can be significantly damaged in car accidents, leading to fractures and other severe injuries that require complex medical treatment.
In addition to fractures, soft tissue damage is another type of injury that can occur, affecting both physical appearance and psychological well-being.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms of facial injuries can vary depending on the severity of the injury. Common symptoms include swelling, numbness, and pain in the facial area. In some cases, facial injuries can also cause difficulty speaking, eating, or breathing. Diagnosis of facial injuries typically involves a physical examination, imaging tests such as X-rays or CT scans, and a review of medical history.
It is essential to seek medical attention immediately after a car accident to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment of facial injuries. Personal injury lawyers can also help car accident victims navigate the complex process of seeking compensation for their injuries, including facial scarring and disfigurement.
Facial Fractures
Whenever a forceful impact affects the face, there’s a high probability that some sort of bone fractures are going to be the result. It could be a broken jaw, a broken nose, or a fractured eye socket. When the damage is severe, it can result not only in incredible pain but also permanent disfigurement.
Serious injuries from facial trauma can have long-term implications, affecting both the physical and emotional well-being of the victims and their families.
Open Wounds
A car wreck can also result in deep cuts that not only affect a person’s appearance for the rest of their life, but also lead to disfiguring scars and permanent nerve damage. Every feature on the face can be affected, including the ears, nose, eyes, and more. Many victims have to deal with never-ending pain as well as a lack of self-esteem. Permanent scars can have a profound emotional impact, often necessitating medical interventions like plastic surgery.
Facial Burns
Fire is always a threat in just about any sort of vehicular collision. When one occurs, the consequences can be horrible. Severe facial burns will often require excruciating skin grafts as well as nerve damage and scarring that will very likely be permanent. Serious eye injuries can also result from facial burns, leading to potential long-term effects such as blurry vision or vision loss.
Treatment options for severe facial burns may include plastic surgery to repair deep lacerations and improve both physical appearance and emotional health.
How are Facial Injuries Treated?
Severe facial injuries must be treated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of permanent damage. Seeking prompt medical treatment is crucial as it can stabilize injuries, prevent complications, and provide necessary documentation for potential insurance claims. Medical personnel will usually wash any wounds with a saline solution in order to remove foreign substances that could increase the risk of an infection. If an open wound is sealed as quickly as possible, that could reduce the chances of permanent disfigurement. Broken bones will often require surgical reconstruction.
Plastic surgeons play a vital role in treating facial injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents. They are essential for managing soft tissue injuries, including cuts and abrasions, to prevent complications like scarring.
No matter what kind of treatment is administered, it’s going to be incredibly costly. This not only includes the initial treatment. But any additional skin grafts or surgeries that might need to be performed in the future. That’s why you will need to contact an attorney as soon as you can to have any chance of recovering compensation for your medical bills and other accident-related expenses.
Do Facial Injuries Take a Long Time to Heal?
The recovery time for facial injuries can depend on a lot of different factors. If you’ve had a prior facial injury or you have other medical issues, it might take longer to recover than it would for other people. For some injury victims, it can take years before they return to anything close to normal. Even minor facial injuries can leave permanent scars, which not only affect a victim’s physical appearance but also have significant emotional repercussions.
Extremely painful injuries, such as broken jaws and damaged teeth, can significantly impact the healing process and underscore the importance of seeking prompt medical treatment.
If you have facial damage, it will be imperative that you follow all of your doctor’s recommendations. For example, facial wounds must be continually treated with ointments to keep the skin as moist as possible and to reduce the risk of infection. When the skin remains moist, that can help reduce the risk of scabs forming. Moisture will help promote the development of new skin rather than scars.
Prevention and Safety
While car accidents can be unpredictable, there are steps that can be taken to prevent or minimize the risk of facial injuries. Wearing a seatbelt, avoiding distracted driving, and following traffic laws can help reduce the risk of car accidents. Additionally, vehicles equipped with airbags and anti-lock braking systems can help minimize the impact of a car accident. Motor vehicle accident victims can also take steps to protect themselves, such as wearing helmets and seatbelts, and avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. By taking these precautions, individuals can reduce their risk of suffering serious facial injuries, including facial fractures, soft tissue injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.
Long-Term Effects
Any kind of injury suffered in a car accident can have impacts that last long after the collision occurs. And facial injuries are no exception. Scars are the most common complication. However, eyelid deformities, a loss of sensation, and other issues can also develop. Many victims will have to have multiple surgical procedures to address these disfiguring injuries.
Facial trauma from car accidents can also have a significant emotional impact on victims. Permanent disfigurement, such as scarring, can have a terribly negative impact on a victim. It could rob them of their self-confidence, drastically reducing their quality of life.
Compensation and Recovery
Car accident victims who suffer facial injuries may be entitled to compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Personal injury attorneys can help victims navigate the complex process of seeking compensation, including filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit. In addition to financial compensation, car accident victims may also require ongoing medical care and rehabilitation to recover from their injuries. This can include reconstructive surgery, physical therapy, and counseling to address emotional trauma. By seeking the help of a personal injury lawyer, car accident victims can ensure that they receive the compensation and support they need to recover from their injuries and move forward with their lives. Severe facial burns, nerve damage, and underlying muscle damage can also be addressed through proper medical care and compensation.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney Today
Please don’t hesitate to get legal representation as quickly as you can if you’re not to blame for the accident that led to your severe facial injuries. The faster you call an attorney, the faster that attorney can get to work uncovering the evidence it will take in order for you to win your personal injury lawsuit.
A car accident lawyer can play a crucial role in securing the compensation you deserve by navigating the complexities of insurance negotiations.
Don’t assume that the negligent party’s insurance company will step up and do the right thing. The hard fact is that the opposite is actually true. That insurer will do everything it can to either minimize the amount of money you receive or flat-out deny your claim and give you nothing. You’re going to need a skilled attorney so that you have the strongest case possible. This will ensure you have the best possible chance to obtain full and fair compensation.
The Eberst Law Firm has the skill and resources it will take to help you get every penny you deserve for the suffering you’ve been forced to endure. Schedule a free consultation by calling (772) 225-4900 or contacting us online as soon as possible.
